History

For decades, the Schaeffler Group's INA brand has stood for creative application solutions, great engineering and manufacturing expertise and a strong customer focus. Thinking outside the box, that is, taking new paths to develop ideas and think beyond barriers, is just as important now as it was when the company was first established.

Dr. Georg Schaeffler, who founded the company with his brother Wilhelm in 1946, demonstrated what it means to think outside the box as early as 1949. At this point, his development of the needle roller and cage assembly – a pioneering innovation – helped the needle roller bearing achieve an industrial breakthrough. Georg Schaeffler’s inventive spirit and his will to succeed have become a permanent part of corporate culture in more than 35 plants worldwide.

All over the world, the Schaeffler Group's INA brand stands for the development and manufacture of rolling bearings, plain bearings and linear guides for machine building and engine components for the automotive industry. INA works closely with its customers as an engineering partner, starting with the initial stages of system development. New customized solutions are developed daily, which means that 1,000 new products are launched every year. The Schaeffler Group has invested heavily in research and development, most recently in new R&D centers in Germany, Asia and North America.

INA brand products are used in the Schaeffler Group’s automotive division for applications in engines, transmissions and chassis and in its industrial division. INA has unmatched expertise in forming precision products. This know-how allows efficient, customized solutions at an excellent price/performance ratio. In the industrial division, four business units for production machinery, power transmission and rail technology, heavy industry, and consumer products drive the Schaeffler Group's INA and FAG brands joint business.